Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1887-11-23
THE PREACHERS VACATION.

The RkEAUHEh's VA0AtIOh.
The old man vent TO ipeetin', for the day
/ was bright and fair,
Though HIS limbs were very totterin', and
Twas hard to travel there;
But he hurgered for the Gospel, 20 he trudged
the weary way
On the road so rough and dusty, meath the
summers burning ray.
By and BY he reached the building, to his
soul q holy place;
Then be paused, and wiped the sHeat-dropf
4 of HIS thin and wrinkied faee.
| he looked around beuildered, for the old
/ beIl did not toll;
And the doors were shut and bolted, ana he
| did not see a soul.
50 he leaned upon his cratches, and he said:
/ "What does it mcanin
| And he looked this way and that, till 1t
seemed almost dream;
| He had walked the dusty highway, and he
/ breathed heavy sigh
Just to 90 once more to meetIn', e'er the
summons clme to die.
But he saw = little notice tackled upon the
meetfn' door.
So he limped along to read IT, and be read It
DER and DER.
Then he wiped his dusky glasses, and he read
! II DER again.
TIL his limbs began to tremble and his eyes
began to pain.
AS the old man read the notice. how It made
hisspir1t burnt
..Pastor absent on vacation, church Is closed
till his returp.,r
Then he staggered slowly backward, and he
sat him down to think,
For his soul was stirred within him, till he
thought his heart would sink.
go he unused along and wondered, to himself
soliloquized-
81 have lived to almost eighty, and was never
20 surprised,
As read that oldest notice, stickin' on the
meettn, doar-
Pastor { e on yacation'-never heard TIE
like before.
why, when first. jlned the meetin', very
many years ago.
Preacher Travelled on the circuit In the heat
and through the snow;
II they got their clothes and wfttals Ctwss
but little cash they goD,
they said nothing bout vacation but were
happy In their lot.
Would tina farmer leave his cattle, or the
shepherd leave his sheepa
Who would give them care and shelter or
provide them food to eata
50 1t strikes me very Singular, when man OF
holy hands
Thinks he needs to have vacation, and for
sakes his tender lambs.
"Dida St. Paul get such nationi did Wes-
ley or Knoxa
Did they in the heat of summer turn away
their needy focks9
Did theT shut their meetin' houses, Just TO go
and lounge about3
whv they knew that If they did, Satan Ger.
tainly would shout.
'.Do the taverns close their doors, j1st to
take little resta
Why, 'twould be the height Of nonsense, for
their trade would be distress
Did you ever know 1t happened, or hear any.
body tell,
Satan takin' vacation, shuttin' up tie door
of hell?
And shall preachers Of the Gospel pack thei
trunks and 90 away
,.eavln' saints and dyin' sinners git along a
lest they maya
Ire the souls Of saints and sinners valuec
less than settlin' beera
DR. DO preachers tire quicker than the rest OF
mortals he re
Why 1t is cannot answer but my feeliDgs
they are stirred:
Here I've dragged my totterin' footsteps foi
to hear the Gospel word.
Bur the preacher lie a trayelin' and the meetin
house is closed:
confess It's very tryin', hard, indeed. to keeI
composed.
.'Tell me. wien tread the valley and go u
the shinin' height,
win hear no angels singin'-Will l see TO
gieamin' light?
WIN the golden harps be silenta VIII meet
no welcome there?
Why, the thought is most distractin', won d
be more than could bear.
TELL me, when reach the city over on e
other shore,
Will find little notice tackled upon th.
golden doors
reilin' me mid dreadful silence, writ In
words that cut and burn
Jesus absent ON vocation, heaven closed ii
his return.''n
The Methodist.
We knew it would come. The an
uouncement has been made that a
paper coffin has been invented and put
upon the market A man may now
huild h;a hn,.so If r,arnr cat hia dipnar